The NextGen Consortium has revealed the launch of reusable cup pilot projects in San Francisco and Palo Alto.
Two of the 12 NextGen Cup Challenge winners, CupClub and Muuse, will test the ‘smart’ reusable cup systems in environments in clusters of local coffee shops over the coming weeks.
The consortium stated, “Live piloting offers these cup companies the opportunity to test further, learn and innovate according to the particular material, technical and operational adjustments necessary to facilitate a seamless and convenient transition to reusable cups for customers and companies also.
” The size and difficulty of the pilots, along with the customer feedback and data captured during them, will provide valuable insights into each cup’s technical feasibility, business viability, user desirability, and circular resiliency, the consortium also added.
” Alongside participating local coffee shops, the City of Palo Alto will be hosting cup drop off points in several civic buildings downtown, and the City of San Francisco has helped to facilitate connections with local businesses.”
The pilot projects improve the NextGen Consortium’s work to advance the development of alternative cup options through innovation and testing.
Moreover, in March 2020, two NextGen Cup Challenge winners, Footprint LLC and PTT MCC Biochem Company Limited, will also start pilot projects in coffee shops in Oakland. They were testing their single-use cup solutions that use different materials for cups and cup liners that are recyclable and compostable.
